Reports say that top Volvo brass have pledged to make all their cars zero fatality vehicles by the year 2020.

According to CNN Money, Volvo execs say that “by 2020, no one will be killed or seriously injured in a new Volvo.” Though the article does not provide a direct quote, the bold claim is repeated several times throughout and in a CNN-produced video. There is one quote form Volvo North America CEO Lex Kerssemakers, who says “[Swedish engineers] don’t say things when they don’t believe in it,” presumably in reference to the death-proof cars.

The promise builds on several technologies, many of them already existing. The first pillar relies on making the vehicles as safe as possible in the event of a crash. This entails improving technologies such as airbags and energy-dissipating body structures.

The second pillar is the development of safety technologies such as adaptive cruise control, auto lane keeping, impending collision braking assistance, traffic sign reading, and pedestrian and large animal detection.

Lastly, the introduction of completely autonomous driving technology will allow cars to fully drive themselves. “With the development of full autonomy we are going to push the limits of automotive safety,” said Volvo’s Erik Coelingh, a safety engineer. “Because if you make a fully autonomous vehicle you have to think through everything that potentially can happen with a car.”

Of course, all of these technologies are already either in use or being developed by Volvo and many other automakers on the market. At the Detroit Auto Show, Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda said the a zero-crash car is a goal, but Volvo is the first to make such a no-death promise with a date.

The Volvo XC90 already received the best overall safety rating from the Euro NCAP, with a 100 percent for safety assist technology and a 97 percent in adult occupant protection. The XC90 is also one of nine models to have suffered zero fatalities in crashes from 2009-12. The others are the Honda Odyssey, Kia Sorrento 2WD, Lexus RX 350 AWD, Mercedes GL-Class 4WD, Audi A4 4WD, Toyota Highlander Hybrid 4WD, Toyota Sequoia 4WD, and the Subaru Legacy.

Nissan may introduce yet another crossover into America’s hottest segment. Reportedly, the Brazil-market Kicks is under serious consideration for US sales by Nissan North America’s top brass.

If it arrives, it is predicted to slot in under the funky Juke, with a slightly less powerful engine than its 188-horse direct-injection 1.6. Its starting price would be lower than the Juke’s $20,250 as well. It may even replace the Juke.

Speaking with Wards Auto, Nissan North America’s vice-president of product planning Michael Bunce said, “We see the opportunity for more mainstream [small] crossovers that are less niche, and we see Honda and others in that space and are taking it very seriously.” Bunce also said that Nissan is studying whether the Juke “remains in the [U.S.] market or not.”

With the Kicks, which was approved for production in Brazil last month, Nissan would go head to head against compact crossovers like the Honda HR-V, Jeep Renegade, Chevrolet Trax and Subaru XV Crosstrek.

Nissan has already filed a trademark application for the name Kicks with the US Patent and Trademark Office last October, though sometimes these filings are simply to reserve a name.

The Kicks will soon begin rolling off the assembly lines at Nissan’s Rio de Janeiro plant alongside the March (Micra in some markets) and Versa currently being produced there.

An amateur spy shot taken in Germany has given us an early look at the facelifted Rolls-Royce Wraith.

Staying true to tradition, Rolls-Royce will only make minor visual modifications to the Wraith. The spy shot suggests the updates will include new-look LED headlights inspired by the ones found on the Ghost Series II, re-styled bumpers on both ends, and an array of new alloy wheel designs. The cabin will receive an updated infotainment system, and buyers will be able to choose from a wider selection of wood veneers.

It’s too early to tell whether Rolls will make mechanical modifications. The current Wraith is powered by a twin-turbocharged 6.6-liter V12 engine that sends 624 horsepower and 590 lb-ft. of torque to the rear wheels via a satellite-aided eight-speed automatic transmission. It reaches 60 mph from a stop in a brisk 4.4 seconds.

The facelifted Rolls-Royce Wraith likely won’t be ready in time for the Geneva Auto Show that will open its doors in early March, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see the big coupe in the metal for the first time at this fall’s Paris show. Either way, it will land in showrooms as a 2017 model.

General Motors’ Germany-based Opel division has published an enigmatic teaser image that previews a new concept called GT.

Opel first used the GT name on a coupe that was launched in 1968 and briefly sold in the United States through Buick dealerships. The GT was axed in 1973, but the moniker was dusted off in 2007 for Opel’s version of the Saturn Sky.

The concept won’t share any styling cues with the topless model. Instead, it will be billed as a tribute to the original GT, and its design will be loosely inspired by the Experimental GT concept that the car maker presented at the 1965 edition of the Frankfurt Auto Show. The similarities between the two models will be vague at best, and the coupe won’t feature a full-on retro-styled look like the Volkswagen Beetle and the Fiat 500.

Opel will share more revealing information about the GT in the weeks leading up to the Geneva show. Stay tuned, we’ll be on location to bring you live images of the concept — and the rest of the action in Geneva — straight from the show floor starting on March 1st.

What’s next?
Opel says the GT is merely a design study, but German magazine Auto Bild believes it will spawn a regular-production model before the end of the decade. The production GT will allegedly ride on the same front-wheel drive platform as the new Astra hatchback that was introduced last summer, and it will be offered with three- and four-cylinder engines borrowed from the Opel parts bin. If the rumor is accurate, the next Opel GT could debut in 2018 to celebrate the original model’s 50th anniversary.

Cadillac is preparing to introduce a brand new V8 engine, a recent report finds.

The eight-cylinder has a displacement of 4.2 liters, and a pair of turbochargers help it generate a little less than 500 horsepower. It’s designed to work with an eight-speed automatic transmission, though whether it will be offered with rear-wheel drive, all-wheel drive, or both, is up in the air at this point.

Interestingly, the V8 doesn’t share any components with the supercharged 6.2-liter eight that powers the CTS-V and the Chevrolet Corvette Z06, and it’s not an evolution of General Motors’ small block engine.

Car & Driver believes Cadillac’s next V8 engine will make its debut in the not-too-distant future under the hood of the range-topping CT6 Platinum. It will also power a handful of other models, including the company’s upcoming flagship sedan, and there’s a decent chance it will be shared with other General Motors-owned companies. However, the magazine suggests that a track-ready, V-badged CT6 powered by a hot-rodded version of the new V8 is unlikely to happen.

Buyers who don’t need eight cylinders under the hood will have at least two other options to choose from. The base CT6 comes with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder rated at 265 horsepower. Next up is a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 that makes 400 horsepower and 400 lb-ft. of torque, and a plug-in hybrid drivetrain made up of a 2.0-liter turbo four and a pair of electric motors will also be offered.

Photos by Brian Williams.